sula in July and a few in August. An occasional berg was almost 

 invariably present in the vicinity of St. John's during this period. 

 Bergs were present in large numbers inshore from Cape Freels 

 north throughout July and into August, but no attempt has been 

 made to plot these on the ice charts. Most of these bergs ground 

 and disintegrate without moving farther south. Bergs were pres- 

 ent in the Strait of Belle Isle in numbers until after the middle of 

 August with occasional bergs in that vicinity through September. 

 Conclusions regarding the ice conditions in the Newfoundland 

 area during the 1943 season are : (1) The crops of field ice and ice- 

 bergs were both somewhat heavier than on an average year. (2) 

 The southerly drift of bergs to the Grand Banks was unusually 

 late. (3) A stronger tendency of bergs to drift east at latitudes 

 north of Flemish Cap prevailed early in the season that would be 

 expected on the basis of records of other years. 



LABRADOR AREA 



The Labrador coast from the Strait of Belle Isle north to Hudson 

 Strait is ice bound from January until June of the average year. 

 The field ice, however, never extends off shore to menace normal 

 shipping lanes. Consequently the ice conditions in this area are 

 little known and of little importance to shipping except at the 

 beginning, during, and at the end of the local navigation season. 

 The extent of field ice and number of bergs oflf the coast from late 

 autumn to early spring would give a good indication of the ice to 

 be expected later in the area of the Grand Banks. The reports 

 from the Labrador area in the winter of 1943 were too few to give 

 this picture. 



Reports of ice sightings for the Labrador area are included in 

 the table entitled 'Table of Ice Reports, Newfoundland Area." 

 Please refer to that table for details. A few points worthy of 

 special mention follow. Field ice was reported extending from 

 north to the Strait of Belle Isle on 4 January, and it was not until 

 9 June that local navigation opened for the spring at Battle Harbor, 

 just north of the Strait. Lake Melville was still frozen solid on 14 

 May but had entirely cleared of ice by 8 June, although on the latter 

 date scattered patches of field ice still remained in Hamilton Inlet. 

 On 13 June field ice extended 30 miles oflf shore at latitude 56° N., 

 increasing to 90 miles at latitudes 58° N., and 60° N. On 16 June 

 coastal vessels reached Battle Harbor and the coast was open to 

 latitude 53° N. It was most likely navigable into Hamilton Inlet 

 at that time. On 24 July heavy pack was still present from about 

 latitude 58° N., to the eastern entrance of Hudson Strait, and 

 extended up to 80 miles ofi" the coast. 



The offshore edge of the main ice field along the Labrador coast, 

 as along the Newfoundland coast north of latitude 49° N., appeared 



22 



